WEBVTT THE VALENCIA COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS - IF A BODY IS FOUND TODAY IN HIS JURISDICTION ... NO ONE GOES INTO THE SCENE UNLESS THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE THERE. HE SAYS HIS DUTY IS TO FOLLOW PROTOCOL ... WHICH SOME SAY DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN TERA CHAVEZ'S BODY WAS FOUND IN 2007. ACTION 7 NEWS ANCHOR ROYALE DA IS HERE WITH THAT. DOUG AND SHELLY - THERE WAS A LOT OF CRITICISM OVER HOW THE SCENE WAS PROCESSED. VALENCIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RESPONDED... BUT APD OFFICERS - CO-WORKERS OF LEVI CHAVEZ - WERE ALLOWED IN TO REPORTEDLY CLEAN UP THE SCENE. WE ARE TOLD TODAY - NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE - THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN, AGAIN. IN 2007 TERA CHAVEZ WAS FOUND DEAD INSIDE HER LOS LUNAS HOME IN VALENCIA COUNTY. MILES AWAY FROM THEIR OWN JURISDICTION ... A GROUP OF ALBUQUERQUE POLICE OFFICERS WERE ALLOWED INSIDE TO CLEAN-UP. AT THE TIME, THEY WERE CO-WORKERS OF LEVI CHAVEZ AND SAID THEY WANTED TO HELP. VALENCIA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY LEMUEL MARTINEZ BELIEVES THOSE OFFICERS MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE EVIDENCE. WOULD THAT HAPPEN TODAY? Sheriff Louis Burkhard/VALENCIA COUNTY: "No it would not." SHERIFF LOUIS BURKHARD WOULDN'T COMMENT ON IF THE CHAVEZ CRIME SCENE WAS TAINTED, BECAUSE HE WASN'T SHERIFF AT THE TIME. HE DID SAY IF THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN HOW THE DEPARTMENT HANDLES SCENES -IN LIGHT OF TERA'S DEATH - IT'S THIS: Sheriff Burkhard: "What we've done is just make sure that everybody abides by the policies that are in place." AND FOLLOWING POLICY MEANS NO OUTSIDERS IN CRIME SCENES UNDER HIS WATCH - UNLESS THEY NEED TO BE THERE. FAMILY ISN'T EVEN ALLOWED UNTIL THE SCENE IS CLEAR. the integrity of a crime scene is extremely important to make sure we collect evidence and document it for use during an investigation and court proceedings." SHERIFF BURKHARD SAYS - IT'S PROTOCOL - TO KEEP A LOG OF EVERY PERSON WHO GOES IN AND WHY. HE SAYS DOING THINGS BY THE BOOK - IS THE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITY, TODAY. Burkhard: "It's a matter of good training and accountability an supervision." LAST YEAR, THE BERNALILLO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RULED THOSE APD OFFICERS WOULDN'T FACE ANY CHARGES FOR GOING INTO THE CHAVEZ HOME. THERE WERE ALLEGATIONS THEY DESTROYED EVIDENCE, BUT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAID THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. BACK TO YOU. BURKHARD HAS BEEN VALENCIA COUNTY SHERIFF SINCE 2011.